Perhaps the word was the beginning of something I could understand.

It remained the whole reply.

A nurse named Sarah sat beside me.

At first, sharing a name had felt like one of those small details people smiled about during a difficult day.

Soon, I learned to recognize her voice before I saw her badge.

She looked at the phone, then at my hand around it.

“Would you like to put that down for a minute?”

I could not seem to loosen my fingers.